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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

I've wrote about this before, but Joshua chapter 3 is one of my favorite passages of scripture.

After this big long journey, the priests stand in the middle of the Jordan river, holding back the water, and stay there while the rest of the Israelittes crossover into the promised land. This is flood time, so that's no tame river. And it's their promise too, but they stand there and wait for everyone else to get to their promise first.

Those themes seem to pop up often in my life: intercession, selflessness, empowering others, standing in the gap.

Reading it this time through, I was reminded that while they were obedient to their calling, the priests didn't do anything by their own power. (Maybe a bit obvious...but it still jumped out to me this time.) They were holding the Ark of the Covenant. They were just ordinary guys standing where God told them to stand. It's what they were carrying that made all the difference.

What's my modern-day equivalent? I think it's remembering to have God's word etched it into my heart and mind, and to let my character and actions be a reflection of Jesus. After all, my relationship with God is a covenant -- a promise I've made to follow him, and his promise to transform me from the inside out. That covenant is one of my most valued possessions, and probably the greatest tool in my tool-house.

It's only when I'm walking in my covenant, that he can use me to help hold back the proverbial river, wherever he tells me to stand. If I try to step into that river without him, I'm toast. No matter how pure and selfless my intentions. But with him, I can stand against anything.

Even if it's a river at flood time, and he calls me to stand there long enough for millions of people to cross over to the other side.

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. ~ Philippians 4:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ~ Ephesians 6:13